MWEB and FON in Wi-Fi partnership deal

South African ISP MWEB has signed a partnership deal with Spain-based international Wi-Fi network provider FON, under which its subscribers will gain access to more than twelve million wireless hotspots worldwide. The crowd-based FON service allows customers to securely share a portion of their Wi-Fi bandwidth with those in range of their wireless router. According to a joint press release, MWEB subscribers with a FON-enabled router (supplied free of charge by MWEB) can access the network of Wi-Fi hotspots, which currently includes MWEB WiFi Zones and AlwaysOn hotspots. More than 30,000 hotspots across the country are expected to be activated by the end of 2014. MWEB CEO Derek Hershaw said: ‘We have been looking for a way to broaden our customers’ access to Wi-Fi beyond their home or office network without compromising the quality of internet access that they’ve become accustomed to.’ The new FON relationship will complement our existing Wi-Fi zones and will give our customers access to cost effective, quality mobile internet access and a growing network.’